Since the days of ancient Egypt, women and even men have sought to accentuate their eyes by using paints, earth compounds and other elements to create

a dark sultry look. Eye brows were plucked and darkened, eyelids were lined with color, and eyelashes were stroked and brushed with dark materials to create a long, thick appearance. Today, women and even some men are no different. Eye makeup is a huge, global industry with billions of dollars in sales annually, and mascara is possibly the biggest seller in this category.

The mystery of mascara is really about the vast number of products available in the market and the wide range of prices. Sephora alone lists 40 brands like Lancôme, Givenchy, Guerlain and Shiseido. Over 150 mascaras are available on their website. This does not include what's known as grocery or drug store brands like Maybelline, or some of the lines found at upper end department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. Overall, mascara prices range from $2 to $50, with some mascara products that promote eyelash growth, costing as much as $160.

What's even more confusing is the gamut of ideas, ingredients, applicators and brushes manufacturers claim will give you thick, long eyelashes. Some products are so heavy they contain fibers to build up an even thicker coat of mascara.

If you're like many women who want to solve the mascara mystery, and are looking for real and objective information on the best mascara on the market, you're in luck. Thanks to the internet, there are hundreds of women who are sampling, testing, and reviewing cosmetic products and making their

findings freely available to women around the world. Three very relevant reviewers who are quite popular at the moment are Fluer, Samantha and Nicola.

Fluer has fabulous content on Facebook and YouTube. With a large following of people that religiously view her blog comments each month, she is highly regarded as comprehensive, fair and objective. Fluer recently published "Best and Worst Drug Store Mascaras" which can be viewed here on her blog In this in depth report, Fluer takes some of the mystery out of mascara. She provides great insight into what you can expect from a number of products and those she feels are the best performers in this category.

Samantha and Nicola have tag teamed for some fabulous content on their YouTube page. One tutorial we recommend is entitled "Drugstore Mascaras. How do they compare?" You can also find them at www.fashionface.tv